The event organised by The Challenge Initiative, TCI, is part of several engagements, aimed at engendering a robust relationship with media outlets in the state, to address the observed poor uptake of family planning methods in the state.
Participants at the
round table who were media practitioners drawn from select media outlets in the
state, who at the meeting developed communication messages to further enlighten
stakeholders on the essence of family planning.
The Programme
Coordinator for the TCI in Anambra State, Mr Aneotah Egbe said the session
became important to mobilize the inputs of the practitioners towards breaking
down the message of family planning so that women of reproductive age can
understand and adopt them.
He explained that
the media practitioners were chosen because of the strategic role they play in
shaping opinions.
“We chose
journalists for this engagement because on a daily basis, they are in field
doing one report or the other about this topic. Through this session, we want
them to develop short messages which can communicate family planning to the
average woman in the communities. Overall what we want is a situation where the
negative stereotypes that mitigate uptake of family planning are demystified
and the people are able to take up these services as they should,” he said
Egbe observed that
a survey conducted by the Agency shows that a significant number of maternal
mortality cases were as a result of the inability of mothers to plan and
control their births.
“Many women die
during and after childbirth because of unplanned pregnancies. The complications
that come with unplanned pregnancies are too numerous. These days, you see many
children who are motherless because their mothers died during or after childbirth.
That is why we are advocating for family planning so that families can make
informed choices about their wellbeing,” he said.
The TCI Demand
Generation Officer, Onyedikachi Ewe, highlighted some of the factors driving
the poor uptake of family planning in the state, noting that a change in the
people’s perception of family planning will improve the present situation.
Group photograph at the Meeting of Media for Family Planning, Anambra State with members of Anambra SBCC today 28th April 2021 @ ABS Awka
“In Anambra, we
identified ideational factors including myths and misconceptions, personal
advocacy, religious beliefs, poor communication of family planning among
spouses, denial of benefits of family planning by persons who have taken up FP
services as affecting the uptake of such services. That is why we are concerned
about partnering with the media to achieve this,” Ewe said.
Some journalists at
the meeting including Monic Okechukwu of Kpakpando 101.9FM, Mbaukwu, Kenechukwu
Ofomah of Wazobia FM, Onitsha and Ogemdi Ozoemenam of Odenigbo FM, Obosi,
expressed their readiness to drive the process to spread the message on family
planning.
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